3 Charts Prove That Marijuana Legalization Is the Future of America

The news: If there was any doubt that marijuana legalization is the future of America, the U.S. Senate has its first marijuana legalization advocate. In an interview with Talking Points Memo published last week, Oregon’s Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley announced that he would likely vote in favor of the state’s upcoming Measure 91 to legalize the possession and sale of recreational marijuana in his state.

“I lean in support of it,” he told the site. “I think folks on both sides of the argument make a good case. And there is concern about a series of new products — and we don’t have a real track record from Colorado and Washington. But I feel on balance that we spend a lot of money on our criminal justice system in the wrong places, and I lean in favor of this ballot measure.”

In other words, legal marijuana is finally being taken seriously. Why? Probably because it’s rapidly becoming a safe issue for politicians.

The background: A Pew Research Center report released earlier this month demonstrates widespread and growing support for marijuana legalization. In just a few short years, support for legalizing marijuana has skyrocketed, shooting from just over 30% at the start of the millennium to 52% today. A slim majority of Americans now recognizes that marijuana prohibition is a failing policy. Read More…